Application Deadlines & Requirements
Summary of Program Deadlines & Requirements
A summary of graduate application deadlines and requirements for programs housed within the Graduate School is directly below. Applicants seeking admission to a specific program should apply via the online application link associated with that program (see summary below). In many cases, academic departments have indicated firm application deadlines. Only completed applications, with supporting materials, will be forwarded by Howard's Office of Admissions (a separate Office from the Graduate School) to your prospective degree program, whose faculty will render a decision on your application. No applicant will be admitted without the recommendation of an academic unit.
Also, consider the following deadlines for filing a timely application:
- Departmental deadlines for admission and consideration of assistantship funding from departmental sources. Applicants should contact the academic departments to determine these departmental funding deadlines.
- Applications submitted earlier (before the priority deadline for fall 2026 entry indicated below for each program) will receive earlier consideration for admission and departmental funding opportunities.
- Applicants have until the final deadline (noted for each program in the table below) to apply. However, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the admissions cycle.
- **Important** Dec. 1 refers to the 2025 early deadline for Fall 2026 entry. For example, prospective students applying by the Dec. 1 fall early deadline must apply by December 1, 2025 (some programs have earlier deadlines).
- **Important** Under the spring 2026 entry table below, Nov. 15 refers to the 2025 deadline for Spring 2026 entry, which is November 15, 2025.
Application Deadlines & Requirements (Fall 2026 Entry)
Program Entry Requirements Webpage | Degree | Program Details | Application for Fall 2026 Entry | 2025-26 GRE Requirement | Rec Letters Required | Interview Required | Master's Degree Required | Early Deadline (11:59 PM EST) for Fall 2026 Entry | Priority Deadline (11:59 PM EST) for Fall 2026 Entry | Final Deadline (11:59 PM EST) for Fall 2026 Entry |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
African Studies |
MA | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
African Studies |
PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | Yes | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Online Applied Data Science & Analytics | MS | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 2 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Atmospheric Sciences | MS | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Atmospheric Sciences | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Biology | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Biomedical Sciences | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Biomedical & Chemical Engineering | PhD | More Info | EngineeringCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Chemical Engineering | MS | More Info | EngineeringCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Chemistry | MS | More Info | GradCAS | GRE Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Chemistry | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | GRE Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Civil & Environmental Engineering | PhD | More Info | EngineeringCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Clinical Psychology | PhD | More Info | PSYCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 15 Nov | 1 Dec | |
Communication Sciences and Disorders | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 1 Apr |
Communication, Culture, & Media Studies | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | Yes | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | |
Computer Science | MCS | More Info | EngineeringCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Computer Science | PhD | More Info | EngineeringCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Counseling Psychology | PhD | More Info | PSYCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | Yes | No | 1 Nov | 1 Dec | |
Developmental Psychology | PhD | More Info | PSYCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 15 Nov | 1 Mar | |
Economics | MA | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Economics | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Educational Psychology | PhD | More Info | PSYCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | Yes (select applicants) | No | 1 Nov | 1 Feb | 1 Mar |
Electrical Engineering | PhD | More Info | EngineeringCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
English | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | |
Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity | Cert | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 2 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Graduate Certificate in Faculty Preparation | Cert | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 2 letters | No | Yes | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Graduate Certificate in International Studies | Cert | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 2 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Graduate Certificate in Women's Studies | Cert | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 2 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | Yes | Yes | 1 Nov | 1 Dec | |
History | MA | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
History | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Mathematics | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Mechanical Engineering | MEng | More Info | EngineeringCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Mechanical Engineering | PhD | More Info | EngineeringCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Medical Physics | MS | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | Yes | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Neuropsychology | PhD | More Info | PSYCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 15 Nov | 15 Jan | |
Nutritional Sciences | MS | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | Yes (Dietetics track only) | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Nutritional Sciences | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | Yes | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Personality Psychology | PhD | More Info | Not accpeting applicants | n/a | n/a | No | No | Not accpeting applicants | Not accpeting applicants | Not accpeting applicants |
Pharmaceutical Sciences | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Physics | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Political Science | MA | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Political Science | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
Public Health | MPH | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Feb | 15 Apr |
School Psychology | PhD | More Info | PSYCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | Yes | No | 1 Nov | 1 Feb | 1 Mar |
Social Psychology | PhD | More Info | PSYCAS | GRE Required | 3 letters | No | No | 15 Nov | 15 Apr | |
Social Work | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | Yes | 1 Dec | 15 Jan | |
Sociology | MA | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 15 Jan | |
Sociology | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | Yes | 1 Dec | 15 Jan | |
Speech-Language Pathology | MS | More Info | CSDCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 1 Dec | 30 Jan |
Application Deadlines & Requirements (Summer 2026 Entry)
Program Entry Requirements Webpage |
Degree | Program Details | Application for Summer 2026 Entry | 2025-26 GRE Requirement | Rec Letters Required | Interview Required | Master's Degree Required | Final Deadline (11:59 PM EST) for Summer 2026 Entry |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Online Applied Data Science & Analytics | MS | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 2 letters | No | No | 15 Apr |
Application Deadlines & Requirements (Spring 2026 Entry)
Program Entry Requirements Webpage |
Degree | Program Details | Application for Spr 2026 Entry | 2025-26 GRE Requirement | Rec Letters Required | Interview Required | Master's Degree Required | Final Deadline (11:59 PM EST) for Spring 2026 Entry |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
African Studies |
MA | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 15 Nov |
African Studies |
PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | Yes | 15 Nov |
Online Applied Data Science & Analytics | MS | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 2 letters | No | No | 15 Nov |
Atmospheric Sciences | MS | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 15 Nov |
Atmospheric Sciences | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 15 Nov |
Chemical Engineering | MS | More Info | EngineeringCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 15 Nov |
Chemistry | MS | More Info | GradCAS | GRE Required | 3 letters | No | No | 15 Nov |
Chemistry | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | GRE Required | 3 letters | No | No | 15 Nov |
Civil & Environmental Engineering | PhD | More Info | EngineeringCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 15 Nov |
Computer Science | MCS | More Info | EngineeringCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 15 Nov |
Computer Science | PhD | More Info | EngineeringCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 15 Nov |
Economics | MA | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 15 Nov |
Economics | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 15 Nov |
Electrical Engineering | PhD | More Info | EngineeringCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 15 Nov |
Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity | Cert | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 2 letters | No | No | 15 Nov |
Graduate Certificate in Faculty Preparation | Cert | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 2 letters | No | Yes | 15 Nov |
Graduate Certificate in International Studies | Cert | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 2 letters | No | No | 15 Nov |
Graduate Certificate in Women's Studies | Cert | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 2 letters | No | No | 15 Nov |
Mathematics | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 15 Nov |
Mechanical Engineering | MEng | More Info | EngineeringCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 15 Nov |
Mechanical Engineering | PhD | More Info | EngineeringCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 15 Nov |
Nutritional Sciences (Nutrition and Experimental tracks) | MS | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 15 Nov |
Nutritional Sciences | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | Yes | 15 Nov |
Pharmaceutical Sciences | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 15 Nov |
Physics | PhD | More Info | GradCAS | Not Required | 3 letters | No | No | 15 Nov |